Speech by Jeff Hmara to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Tuesday April 25, 2002 FREE FLIGHT 1500 K Street, NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005
WHAT IS FREE FLIGHT?...3 CORE CAPABILITIES...3 AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM COMMAND CENTER...4 COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING...5 NATIONAL AIRSPACE STATUS INFORMATION TOOL...7 COLLABORATIVE ROUTING COORDINATION TOOL...7 REROUTE EXAMPLE...8 USER REQUEST EVALUATION TOOL...9 URET DISPLAY...10 TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ADVISOR...12 TMA TIMELINE GRAPHICAL INTERFACE...13 TMA PLANVIEW...14 SURFACE MOVEMENT ADVISOR...15 DISCUSSION OF FREE FLIGHT 2 CAPABILITIES...17 CONTROLLER PILOT DATA LINK COMMUNICATIONS...17 CPDLC TEST RESULTS...17 TMA-MC...19 SUMMARY...20 HTTP://FFP1.FAA.GOV...21 This document contains only the graphics and explanatory text of Mr. Hmara s speech. It does not contain the entire speech. 2
WHAT IS FREE FLIGHT? The BASIC CONCEPT of Free Flight is simple remove restrictions from the National Airspace System to improve efficiency and increase capacity without negatively impacting safety. CORE CAPABILITIES URET TMA SMA SMA CDM Collaborative Decision Making CDM provides airline operations centers and the FAA with near realtime status information, including weather, equipment availability, and delays. User Request Evaluation Tool URET is a conflict probe that continually looks ahead 20 minutes to identify potential conflicts. Traffic Management Advisor TMA provides en route controllers and traffic management specialists with the tools to develop arrival sequence plans for equipped airports. Surface Movement Advisor SMA provides aircraft arrival information to airline ramp towers to assist airlines in better managing ground assets (gates, baggage operations, refueling, food service, etc.). 3
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM COMMAND CENTER Photograph of the Air Traffic Command Center in Herndon Virginia Showing three of the large wall displays used in assessing the status of the National Airspace System. Among other things these displays show: Every aircraft in the US airspace at all times Weather systems across the country which will potentially impact or are currently impacting service. This view is shared with FAA facilities and airline personnel throughout the system as a basis for collaborative decision making on managing the air traffic control system as a whole. 4
COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING URET TMA SMA SMA CDM COLLABORATIVE DECISION MAKING (CDM) provides Airline Operations Centers and the FAA with near real-time access to National Airspace System status information including weather, equipment, and delays. Better information leads to better decision making. Tools and procedures in place enable the FAA s Air Traffic Control System Command Center and the NAS users to more easily respond to changing conditions. Over thirty airlines and NavCanada are enrolled as users of the system. There are three components of Collaborative Decision Making: Ground Delay Program Enhancements Initial Collaborative Routing National Airspace System Status Information GROUND DELAY PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS enable the FAA s Air Traffic Control System Command Center and participating airline operations centers to share their latest information on airline schedules and projected airport demand and capacity rates at times when airport capacity is expected to be reduced (most frequently this would be the result of inclement weather). This sharing of information is critical in optimizing airline operations through enhanced scheduling techniques. This tool has been available at all airports since September 1999. INITIAL COLLABORATIVE ROUTING enables traffic management specialists at the Command Center, traffic management coordinators at the high altitude centers, and representatives at airline operations centers to confer with a shared view of traffic flow situations. For the first time all of the stakeholders not only have access to the same data but are working together to find mutually beneficial solutions to traffic constraints and real or potential system delays 5
http://www.fly.faa.gov Clicking on LAX will get you the following Airport Status: You can zoom in on a sector of the country if you do not see the airport you want displayed on the screen You can check on the status of an individual airline and flight AND as noted you are provided with a glossary of Air Traffic Management terms to help you navigate the data. 6
NATIONAL AIRSPACE STATUS INFORMATION TOOL THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE STATUS INFORMATION tool enables the real-time sharing of a wide variety of information about the operational status of the national airspace system. Much of this information has previously been unavailable to, or unusable by, most airspace users and service providers. It includes maintenance status, runway visibility measurements at over 47 airports and the availability of special use airspace. Historically, special use airspace has been roped off at all times. Now it is made available when it is not needed for special use and the information is available to allow for flight planning. COLLABORATIVE ROUTING COORDINATION TOOL This tool allows controllers to execute trial planning activities in order to develop and evaluate alternative routings for aircraft whose flight plans will cause them to fly through an area which has some constraint, usually weather. The ability to do trial planning results in alternative routing of aircraft so that they can avoid flow constrained areas. This helps keep the air traffic system across the nation operating as smoothly as possible in such situations and helps avoid more costly measures such as ground delays or holding. 7
REROUTE EXAMPLE Controllers using these tools will define a Flow Constrained Area and proceed to develop possible work arounds to alleviate the constraint. The red polygon represents a flow constraint, probably an area of inclement weather in the proposed path of the flight (the original flight plan is represented by the blue dotted line) The solid blue lines depict the rerouted course of the aircraft. 8
USER REQUEST EVALUATION TOOL URET TMA SMA SMA CDM USER REQUEST EVALUATION TOOL (URET) A pilot who wants to change direction or altitude from the prescribed flight path to a more advantageous one is required to ask an en route air traffic controller for permission. Controllers who have use of URET software can enter a trial plan on a computer, and then check either the current flight plan or proposed flight plan for conflicts. The advisory software can predict an aircraft-to-aircraft conflict 20 minutes ahead in time. Red intersecting lines of two airplane flight paths will appear on the monitor if the requested change is a confliction. In that case, the controller can enter other trial plans until finding one that is conflict free. It also probes to see if the change will cause an airspace conflict with restricted airspace. URET provides advice; controllers make the decisions. A major benefit of URET is the ability to remove system restrictions. As an example there may be a restriction requiring aircraft to enter or depart a certain sector s airspace at or below flight level 250 because of the frequent occurrence of crossing traffic. With the conflict probe in continual operation the controllers can respond to the actual incidence of crossing traffic and remove the restriction allowing aircraft to operate at higher more fuel efficient flight levels and deal with aircraft only when the crossing traffic actually presents a conflict or potential conflict. 9
URET DISPLAY Here is a prototype URET display at a controller workstation Let s look at a conflict notification and possible resolutions evaluated through trial planning by the controller. URET does four things for the controller: Notifies the controller of potential aircraft-to-aircraft Or aircraft-to-airspace conflicts 20 minutes ahead Provides trial planning capability for potential solutions to conflicts Provides electronic flight data and updates the controllers flight plan list The next slides depict a typical conflict situation and trial planning solution developed by URET. Display shows a conflict between UAL1268 and N84BJ. The conflict is highlighted in red and displayed on the URET monitor. The controller can now submit trial plans to change the altitude or the route of flight of the aircraft to assess options for resolving the conflict. UAL1268 is at flight level 270 (27,000 feet) noted in the white data block at the right of the display. 10
Send AM This resolution shows that an altitude change to flight level 250 resolves the conflict and does not result in another conflict. This resolution shows a route change can resolve the conlict without resulting in any other conflicts with the added benefit that it provides a more direct routing for UAL 1268. 11
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ADVISOR URET TMA SMA SMA CDM TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ADVISOR (TMA) affects traffic flow and planning of aircraft operating in en route airspace. As deployed under Free Flight Phase 1, TMA is a strategic planning tool for en route controllers and traffic management specialists. It provides computer automation to enhance arrival sequence planning and the efficiency of air traffic operations in the extended terminal airspace surrounding major airports. TMA enables en route controllers and traffic management specialists to develop complete arrival-scheduling plans "meter lists" of properly separated aircraft. These plans then support early runway assignments that maximize the adapted airport's use of its available capacity. Significant fuel savings and reduced passenger delays result from efficiencies achieved through use of TMA. Indications from Fort Worth Center show that it has been able to increase the arrival rate into Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by 5 percent. TMA is providing benefits at Denver, Minneapolis, Fort Worth, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and Oakland air route traffic control centers. 12
TMA TIMELINE GRAPHICAL INTERFACE TMA helps controllers optimize traffic flow into adapted airports and efficiently use available runways and surrounding airspace. Displays depict the aircraft approaching the runways and airspace in plan view or time line graphics. Controllers can observe potential imbalances and use the data to plan optimal solutions. This is the TMA Timeline Graphical User Interface (aka T-GUI). It provides the Traffic Management Coordinator the ability to smooth peaks in air traffic flow resulting in efficient routing into the Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) airspace. Provides the ability to visualize in advance the impact of possible changes in airport configurations. 13
TMA PLANVIEW This is the TMA Planview Graphical User Interface AKA the P-GUI It provides the controller with an airspace map-oriented view of arriving aircraft. It depicts traffic transitioning from the approach control environment into the airport arrival environment. 14
SURFACE MOVEMENT ADVISOR SURFACE MOVEMENT ADVISOR (SMA) increases awareness of traffic flow into the airport, giving ramp control operators precise touchdown times. 15
The SMA list display provides the following basic information: Aircraft Identification Estimated touchdown time (yellow column) Position in Latitude and Longitude Distance in nautical miles Altitude Speed Aircraft type An additional situation display shows the position of aircraft relative to the arrival airport. This updated information helps airlines manage ground resources at the terminal more efficiently: gates, baggage handling, food services, refueling, and maintenance. Informed of aircraft identification and position in the terminal airspace, gate and ramp operators using SMA have enhanced ability to reduce taxi delays. Feedback from airlines using SMA has been very positive; Northwest Airlines estimates that it was able to avoid three to five costly diversions weekly, especially during periods of inclement weather. 16
DISCUSSION OF FREE FLIGHT 2 CAPABILITIES Free Flight Phase 2 continues the deployment of Phase 1 capabilities to additional sites. In addition, it incorporates matured capabilities such as Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC). CONTROLLER PILOT DATA LINK COMMUNICATIONS CONTROLLER PILOT DATA LINK COMMUNICATIONS (CPDLC) are designed to significantly enhance the communications and method of communicating between pilots and controllers. During a flight, air traffic controllers are in frequent communication with pilots to provide clearances and other information. Currently, this communication is by two-way radio using voice. In busy sectors, with a controller handling many aircraft, the "party line" nature of voice radio communications can limit the ability to talk. Just as instant messaging using a computer can provide an alternative to a telephone call, CPDLC can provide an alternative to using the congested radio. CPDLC TEST RESULTS Atlanta Tiroe Arrivals Problem Solution Aircraft arrival tracks depicting impact of streamlined data link on arrivals into Tiroe Airport during a trial. CPDLC is used in the en route environment Used to send messages between cockpit and ground having airborne and ground components Pilots and controllers use it to exchange routine data that is repeated for most aircraft entering or leaving a sector BENEFITS: Reduced voice congestion and acoustic confusion Reduced read-back hear-back errors Reduced overlapping or stepped on communications CONTRIBUTINGTO: Reduced errors 17
Landmark for CPDLC March 7, 2002 Photograph of the first message sent by Miami Center to a CPDLC equipped airborne aircraft shown here on the cockpit display. CPDLC provides a means for a controller to compose and send a message to the cockpit crew, such as assignment of the radio frequency for the next sector. The message is displayed on a screen in the cockpit; the pilot is able to send a response with the push of a key. Eventually, pilots will be able to compose messages, such as requests for route changes. Besides reducing the volume of communication on the voice radio, CPDLC can reduce operational errors resulting from misunderstood instructions and read-back errors as the pilot can read the display. CPDLC builds upon a concept already used for airlines to communicate with their pilots. The airground digital radio network and some of the avionics were originally developed to support airlines operational communications. The communication standards and message formats have been standardized internationally, so equipped aircraft will eventually be able to use CPDLC worldwide. An operational evaluation of CPDLC is scheduled to begin in airspace controlled by Miami Center in June 2002. Flight testing is currently under way. American Airlines aircraft equipped with CPDLC radio features will participate in the evaluation with the FAA. This implementation will support a limited number of message types. Work has already begun on Build IA, which will extend the capabilities of CPDLC for both pilots and controllers. The first deployment of Build IA is planned for December 2005 at Miami Center, followed by national deployment. Additionally in Phase 2, there will be an increased emphasis on moving promising technologies from the research arena into the work environment in an incremental fashion to provide benefits. The aviation community has identified a list of priority activities they would like to see us pursue. The objective and emphasis will be shortening time to market for promising research products and accelerating technology transfer to the operational state. 18
TMA MULTI-CENTER TMA-MC is a priority research project for Phase 2 with a goal of providing capability in the field in the 2003 2005 timeframe. It is an extension of the TMA Single-Center discussed earlier to regions where more than one facility is significantly involved in arrival traffic flow management. TMA-MC Incorporates system requirements and operational procedures for re-planning across multiple facilities Enables transition to time based metering Facilitates regional collaboration Identifies and aids in alleviation of airspace resource congestion. 19
SUMMARY All of the Free Flight initiatives depicted here work together to turn the concept of Free Flight that is to remove restrictions from the National Airspace System to improve efficiency and capacity without negatively impacting safety to turn that concept into a reality. This visual most graphically describes how each of the Free Flight capabilities is linked to the others in meeting the needs of the system users. The flight path is a continuum. There is no phase of the flight of this aircraft that can be removed or that does not occur in a logical sequence with specific impacts on and interrelationships to the others. The Free Flight initiatives are all similarly interrelated and interdependent. Each flight is a single event with many opportunities to provide the safest, most efficient and responsive aerospace system in the world (This quote is from the FAA vision statement). As noted earlier the concept of Free Flight is simple remove restrictions from the National Airspace System to improve efficiency without negatively impacting safety. 20
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